Watchmaker&#39;s vise



April 22, 1952 A. B. SINKLER WATCHMAKERS VISE Filed June 14, 1948 Fig. 3

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F l If? gvwm vtm ARTHUR B. SINKLER Patented Apr. 22, 1952 WATCHMAKERS- VISE Arthur Brock Sinkler, Lancaster, Pa., assignor to Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster,v Pa.

Application June 14, 1948, Serial No. 32,743

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a watchmakers tool.

- a. universal positioning fixture in the nature-of a vise. for holding and supporting a watch movementduring repair or. adjustment.

The obj ectof the present invention is to provide a. fixture which will support a watch movement in any desired position and which will furnish light to the generally inaccessible parts of the movement.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a fixture for supporting a watch movement which may be pivoted through an angle of 180 and which may be oriented through 360 so that any part of the movement is available to the watchmaker without his shifting the position of his hands or body.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a universal positioning fixture for watch movements which may be locked and held at any desired position.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein described may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the universal positioning fixture.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross section.

Figure 3 is a transverse cross section.

Figure 4 is a view of a movement mounted on a plastic holding plate.

Referring particularly to the drawing, a base 5 is formed with upright side members 6 in which are milled arcuate shoulders I having angleside walls 8. A cradle 9 is formed with a rocker base I having grooves ll fitting the angle sidewalls 8 of the base 5, I

A pair of pins ID are secured to the rocker base, one at each end of the groove H and in turn engage a pin 6 carried on the base 6 to serve as stops for limiting the motion of the cradle to approximately a 90 arc.

A well I2 is formed centrally of the cradle 9 and is threaded in its upper part to receive a hollow nut l3. The hollow nut 13 is formed with an enlarged annular collar I4 adapted to engage a washer l which secures a knurled rotatable supporting ring I6 in position. This ring is held from removal by the washer l5 but is free to rotate about the nut l3. A screw kerf H in the nut is formed to provide means for adjusting the tension on the rotatable ring, I6. The rotatable ring: I6 is knurled on its outer surface as at 18 to provide finger grips and is provided with diametrically upstanding pins I9.

A cylindrical passage 20 communicates. with the interior of the well to permit light from any desirable source such as a bench lamp or sun to enter the well. Adjustably mounted on the rod 2| at the bottom of the well is a mirror 22 so that the light entering through the cylindrical passage 2|] may be directed upward from the mirror through the hollow nut and illuminate the movement 23 which is carried on the plastic holding plate 24, said plate being in turn secured to the pins l9.

The base 5 is formed with a transverse bore 25 in which a rod 26 is supported having an operating lever 21 attached to its end and extending upward along the side of the fixture. A cam surface 28 at the center of the rod '26 serves to brin a wedge 29 into and out of engagement with the bottom ill of the cradle 9 serving to lock said cradle in any desired position on the base 5. A locking bolt 3|] threaded into the end of the rod 26 and seated in an enlarged portion 3| of the bore 25 serves to hold said rod in position.

In use the watch movement which is carried on the plastic disc 24 is secured to the universal positioning fixture by the pins l9 entering the holes in the plastic disc. This securely holds the movement in position to be worked upon by the operator no matter what part of the mechanism he wishes to reach. The ring l6 maybeturned through 360 and the cradle 9 rocked through an angle of 180, the combination of the two movements permitting access to any part of the watch movement without changing the position of the operator. A disc light directed through the opening 20 gives ample illumination to all parts of the movement.

What is claimed is:

1. A universal positioning fixture for a watch movement assembly, comprising a base formed with upstanding substantially spaced sides having parallel inwardly facing arcuate grooves therein, a cradle formed with a rocker base slidably mounted for manual rocking movement on said base, in said grooves and being substantially housed between the upstanding sides of said base, a ring rotatively carried by said cradle and formed with a pair of upstanding pins for supporting a watch movement, said ring being in a plane parallel to the face of said cradle, a second ring concentric with and fitting within said first mentioned rin a resilient washer underlying said second ring and bearing against said first mentioned ring adapted to be compressed by said secand ring to lock said first mentioned ring in a y desired angular position relative to said cradle. means carried by said base and said cradle limiting the rocking movement of said cradle to a position where the movement ring is parallel to said base and to a position substantially at 90 thereto, and means for locking said cradle in any position between these two extremes.

2. A universal positioning fixture for a watch movement assembly, comprising a base formed with upstanding substantially spaced sides having parallel inwardly facing arcuate grooves therein, a cradle formed with a rockerbaseslidablymounted for manual rocking movement on said base, in said grooves and being substantially housed between the upstanding sides ofsaid base, a ring rotatively carried by said cradle and formed with a pair of upstanding pins for supporting a watch movement, said ring being in a plane parallel to the face of said cradle, a second ring concentric with and fitting within said first mentioned ring, a resilient washer underlying said second ring and bearing'against said first mentioned rin adapted to be compressed by said second ring to lock said first mentioned ring in any desired angular position relative to said cradle, means car- 4 ried by said base and said cradle limiting the rocking movement of said cradle toa position where the movement ring is parallel to said base and to a position substantially at thereto, a shaft mounted for rotation in said base, a cam on the lower end of said shaft, a floating stop surrounding said cam and engaging the base of said cradle and a hand lever carried on said shaft to rotate said shaft and lock said cradle in any desired position.

ARTHUR BROCK SINKLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name. j Date 407,481 Heidenreich July 23, 1889 420,968 Seaman Feb. 11, 1890 738,543 Jenkins Sept. 8, 1903 915,872 Missman Mar. 23, 1909 1,303,560 Jones May 13, 1919 1,598,593 Cart Aug. 31, 1926 1,869,351 Lincoln July 26, 1932 

